Authors

A. Roy,

Laboratory of Clinical Studies, DICBR, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland; 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Medical University of South Carolina and VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

B. Adinoff,

Laboratory of Clinical Studies, DICBR, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland; 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Medical University of South Carolina and VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

J. DeJong,

Laboratory of Clinical Studies, DICBR, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland; 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Medical University of South Carolina and VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

M. Linnoila

Laboratory of Clinical Studies, DICBR, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland; 2 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Medical University of South Carolina and VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Abstract

Seasonal influences on indices of serotonergic function, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), have been reported in psychiatric patients and healthy volunteers. We examined seasonal differences in CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA among 135 alcoholics admitted to a research ward who had a lumbar puncture. No significant seasonal differences were found for either CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA or CSF concentrations of other monoamine metabolites or peptides. The possible explanations for these negative findings are discussed.

4John Crean, Jerry B Richards, Harriet de Wit, Effect of tryptophan depletion on impulsive behavior in men with or without a family history of alcoholism, Behavioural Brain Research, 2002, 136, 2, 349CrossRef